Support



L. J. BURKE July 5, 1938.

SUPPORT Filed June 22, 1936 ,Tm/mf# azz/felice JEM/ie,

Patented July 5, 1938 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE SUPPORT lawrence J. Burke, Ghicago, lll.

Appllltlon June 22. 1938, Scrl N0. 88,501

l Chim. (Cl. 248-29) 'I'his invention relates to a new and useful device for display or supporting purposes, and has for one of its principal objects the provision of a device of this character that can be applied without marring or otherwise injuring the surface of the element or structure to which it is attached.

In the use of many articles or devices that are employed today for supporting purposes, such for lo example as wall hooks for pictures, closet hooks. display racks and the like, it is customary to provide solid fastenings and drive them into the supporting member. The result is that when it becomes necessary to move the devices,as it frequently does, there remains an unattractive mark or opening made by the solid fastening. An important feature of the present invention consists in the elimination of the foregoing objection through the use of adherent or adhesivebacked fasteners in lieu of solid fastenings. With the rapid strides Vand advances that are taking place in adhesives today it has been discovered that hooks, brackets, racks and other articles of this general type can be satisfactorily supported through the medium of adhesive-backed mate rials. l

A further feature of the invention resides in the discovery of a simple, economic and highly eillcient means of combining the support with the adherent-backed base, in such a manner that the former will be securely attached to the supporting structure, as for example a wall beam or the like.

Still a further feature of the invention which contributes to its importance resides in .the employment of an adhesive material that can be repeatedlyapplied to and removed from supporting surfaces without destroying its eillciency. By the use of. such a material it is possible to remove the support from one location to another, manually, without the use of tools or additional fastenings or materials.

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from a reading of the following specification in the light of the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a view in front elevation of a support constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the device shown in Figure l;

Figure 3 is a view in rear elevation of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view in front elevation of a 55 picture hook embodying the invention;

Figure 5 is a view in side elevation ot the device shown in Figure 4; and

`Figures 6 and '1 are views in side elevation showing additional or modiiled forms of the invention. 5

As shown in Figure 1 the assemblage comprises a holder for a package of cigarettes. As there illustrated, a base ill. the upper portion of which has been arbitrarily illustrated in the form of a shield, is provided with a circular opening or 10 slit i2 near its lower extremity through which extends the anchoring or shank portion Il oi a support I8. 'Ihe latter element is shaped as shown in Figure2 to receive and support a package of cigarettes indicated by the dotted line I8. 1g 'I'he base il! comprises an adhesive-coated material adapted for repeated applications to and removal from smooth surfaces usually referred to as a pressure sensitive adhesive. A suitable material for this purpose is known by the 20 trade-mark Lexide, and comprises a composition material having its rear face impregnated with latex. The composition "Lexide" may be described as4 a rubber and fiber composition usually in sheet form. The rear or impregnated 25 face of this material is coated with a suitable adhesive to form a simple but emcient bond between the composition Lexide, and a supporting element 20, such for example as a wall, a beam, a truss, or the like. Additional support- 30 ing elements with which my improved product or device may be eillciently employed. and which today present great diillculties in aifording proper support for devices of this character, comprise glass, marble, tile, and other similar surfaces.

`It is desirable to avoid the use of separate fastenings to secure the support i6 to the adhesive-backed material or base i0, and to this end an important feature resides in utilizing a portion of the adhesive on the rear `face of the 40 base as the sole supporting medium. Thus, as illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the ilat elongated shank il of the support is inserted through the slit or opening i2 and is then pressed into flat engagement with the adhesive-coated rear 45 fac'e. Thus the assembled device comprises only two parts and the sole bonding action between them is through the adhesive material. No pressed out prongs or other fastening means are necessary. 5u

When the device has been assembled in the foregoing manner it may be applied to a smooth surface in the manner shown in Figure 2 and will remain there indefinitely. Pressure applied to the support it is downward, approximately par- 5g allel to the"supporting element or wall 2t and the large adhesive-backed area in contact with the wall successfully resists any such pressure and displays practically no tendency to become loosened.

It might be mentioned in passing that in the .sale and distribution of devices of this charaction the base is made in circular form 22 although any suitable shape will suffice. The shank I l of the support i6, in order to provide a suitable area of engagement with the adhesive material, has been enlarged'in the manner indicated by the dotted lines 24. When so shaped the bond between the support and the base i0 is satisfactory and a suillcient area of the rear face of the base is left unexposed to, provide satisfactory engagement with a wall or moulding. In the sale and distribution of this class of article the rear face will be covered with holland cloth and an assortment or a certain number, as for example twelve or twenty-five, will be packaged together. In use the holland cloth can be removed without any difiiculty and the support put in position. If the housewife or other person employing it does not like its rst location, or if it has been improperlypositioned, it may be removed without damaging the wall and without difficulty and applied at some other point.

Figure 6 illustrates another form of the invention in which the support i6 comprises a display rack or shelf for supporting an article of commerce, as a can, indicated by the dotted line 26. Devices of this characterwill find useful application in grocery stores and the like in connection with sales and for other reasons of display. In this modification the support i6 is arranged to extend beneath the lowermost edge of the base In instead of being inserted through a slit or opening formed within the body of the base, such as shown in the preceding figures.

In Figure 7 the invention is shown in connec- :lionkwith a support in the form of an ordinary An important aspect of the invention as described resides in the availability of the exposed face of the base lli for advertising purposes, and such use is contemplated.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated herein with particular reference to only four different forms of supports, it should be appreciated that its utility and application extend beyond the particular type of support illustrated and comprehend the useful 'and novel features set forth when combined' with any suitable type of base and support.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

An assembly of the character described comprising, in combination, a latex impregnated fibrous sheet material, a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating covering the rear face of said sheet material, said adhesive being adapted for repeated application to and removal from smooth surfaces, and a supporting element attached to thesaid sheet material and adapted to project outwardly therefrom for supporting an article, said supporting element being associated with the lower portion of said sheet material whereby the weight of the 4supported article does not exert vsufllcient outward pressure to effect removal of said pressure-sensitive adhesive coating from said smooth supporting surface.

LAWRENCE J. BURKE. 

